


Gotta Love a Hockey Player

by pushupindrag



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hockey, Flirty Steve Rogers, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 21:46:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6346567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushupindrag/pseuds/pushupindrag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky is the team captain for his colleges' hockey team, and a figure skater that practises after his team catches his eye. </p>
<p>
  <i>It didn’t matter how much Bucky’s body ached after a practise, how bruised he was or how tired. He would always go back to the stands after cleaning himself up to watch the figure skater.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gotta Love a Hockey Player

**Author's Note:**

> The hockey AU nobody wanted.
> 
> I know nothing about hockey, I just read 'Check Please' (which I adore oh my gosh) and after reading that one of my first few thoughts was 'but what if Bucky played hockey?' and this came from that. So i'm sorry about all of the inaccuracy. I also know nothing about figure skating. I'm just super sorry is all. 
> 
> Come chat with me on tumblr [here](http://buckybdarnes.tumblr.com/) and cry with me about Bucky Barnes
> 
> Un'beted so if you find any mistakes please let me know :)

It didn’t matter how much Bucky’s body ached after a practise, how bruised he was or how tired. He would always go back to the stands after cleaning himself up to watch the figure skater.

Now, he didn’t know this boy. And all he really knew was that the kid skated after Bucky’s team’s hockey practise, and that Bucky was completely smitten.

Bucky always sat half way up the stands, homework on his lap if he needed to do any work (which was all the time) and chin in hand for the most part unless he really needed to knuckle down, listening to the guy’s blades on the ice. Both were working in their own way, Bucky on his homework, familiar sounds of blades on ice lulling him into an ongoing work ethic, while the skater practiced.

Bucky wasn’t sure the guy knew he was there, and he felt a little creepy watching. But he got far more work done in the stands than he would in his dorm or in his library, and it wasn’t like he left as soon as skater guy did. In fact, he normally stayed till he got kicked out. He just like the rink, it was a second home.

“Sarge, come on shit head!” Practise had gone over because of him, but damn him if he wasn’t going to get these plays right. His team needed to be on top form for the next game, it was the final of the season and he was nothing if not competitive.

“Get back on the fucking ice Dum Dum. You were sloppy in that last play.” Dum Dum just shakes his head but steps back onto the ice, the defender sharing a withering look with everybody else. There were nineteen of them packed into a corner of the ice while Bucky chewed them out. They were all like family, but that didn’t mean Bucky wasn’t afraid to tell them when they were performing like shit.

“Sarge.” Gabe’s lounging on the barrier, and all it takes is Bucky glaring at him to get him to shut up.

“No, all of you were completely fucking out of it, what the hell is happening to you guys? I know finals are coming up, and I know the pressures on for you all to pass, as well as come to practise. But you shouldn’t have signed the fuck up in the first place if you weren’t prepared to do both. I know everybody’s trying their best, but this is going to be the last game for a few of us, and I want us to fucking win are we understood?” He looks around at the faces that have started to stare shamefaced at him back “I said are we understood?” He shouts, and everybody stands to attention, saluting him before laughing, tension falling from everyone’s shoulders.

“YES SARGE!” They shout back, before laughing and climbing from the ice. Bucky following, shaking his head but smiling. He loved his guys.

“Sorry, we’ll get out of your way now.” Bucky’s catches sight of somebody waiting at the barrier so he calls over, herding everybody out.

“It’s no trouble, gotta love a hockey player right?” It’s figure skater guy. And damn does he live up to Bucky’s expectations. He’s slim and fair, shorted than Bucky by a head and currently wearing quite tight clothing in the form of an undershirt and probably leggings? Either way, Bucky wholly appreciates the outfit.

“So they say, sorry for taking up so much rink time.” Bucky smiles, because he can’t help himself really, and the smile he gets back makes his stomach roll in an entirely good way.

“No problem. You gonna watch me today?” The skaters’ walking past him onto the ice, gliding around once he’s on there, more graceful on the ice than off.

Surprised and a little embarrassed, Bucky rubs his hand over the back of his neck under his sweaty jersey “When have I not?”

“That’s true. Later Sarge.” The guy’s skating off, laughter on the air and Bucky turns tail and hobbles off. Embarrassed but elated.

He’s greeted by cat calls when he gets into the locker room, and he doesn’t stop himself from hiding behind his hands.

“Shut the fuck up.” He moans, stumbling from all the back slapping as he gets to his locker, shucking his sweaty clothes to change into clean ones. “You’re all bastards.”

“Just cause you liiiiiiiike him!” Dum Dum sings, booming laughter causing everybody else to break out into laughter too.

“Get in there Sarge!” Johnny calls form the back, and then there’s another round of back slapping that Bucky fends off. Unable to stop giggling himself.

He’s back in the stands in record time, sitting closer to the rink than usual, but still not too close. He waves timidly when the skater spots him, and hopes his blush isn’t visible from where the guys skating as he gets to his work.

It’s not hard to get sucked into his work, studying for his English final was his top priority, especially if he wanted to go and get his teaching degree. He’s reaching for a granola bar when a cough stops him.

“Hey, want company?” Figure skater is standing there, bag slung over his shoulder with a cautious smile on his face.

“Sure.” Bucky shuffles over, swinging his leg over the bench so that he can face the guy while he sits. On a whim, because he’d do it with any of his friends, he offers his snack. “Want half?”

“Yeah alright.” The guy slumps down, mirroring Bucky as he takes out his own work. Bucky breaks half of the granola bar off and hands it over, skater taking it and shoving it into his mouth while he sorts his stuff out.

“What’s your name anyway?” Bucky questions, putting his pen down to look at the guy.

“Stebe” The guy says around his food.

“Stebe?” Bucky questions, smirking as ‘Stebe’ rolls his eyes.

“Sorry, Steve.” Steve takes the food out of his mouth.

“I’m Bucky.” Smiling, Bucky shrugs when Steve waves a hand in front of his mouth, apologising for eating while it was full.

“Good to know, otherwise I’de still be calling you Sarge.”

“Eh, I’m used to it.” Bucky loved his nickname, and was pretty happy with everybody knowing him as Sarge.

“Yeah, but I’m not one of your teammates.” Steve shrugs, mouth full again, but not apologising this time.

“I wouldn’t mind.”

“I like calling you something everybody else doesn’t.” Steve’s swallowing as he says it, and Bucky uses the distraction to smile a little giddily at himself.

“So I can call you Stebe?” Jabbing, Steve takes it with another shrug and a smile.

“You can call me whatever you want.” And oh, that’s the sexiest thing Bucky’s ever seen as Steve leans forward a little with a smirk.

“So, uh, you-“ Bucky’s completely choking, breath all caught up as Steve continues to smirk up at him, tilting a little so that’s he’s looking up through his eyelashes. “Skate? You skate?”

Steve’s laughing, pulling back up and nodding as Bucky wills his blush to go down.

“Yeah I skate. Since I was really little. Thought I’de continue it here.” Steve’s smiling at Bucky, and it’s kind and warm and everything Bucky never knew he wanted from anyone.

Bucky hadn’t had the best time coming out, so the only people who really knew he was gay were his team mates, and he kept hooking up to a minimum, while his dating life was completely non-existent. Other than his massive crush on Steve, he hadn’t really done anything about relationships, never mind thought about them.

“I get that.” Bucky gets his tone under control, coughing a little as he looks back down at his work to focus himself. “I’ve been skating forever too. Always been on a team, although I was never one for fancy footwork.”

“Well I was never one for contact sport so I guess that makes us even.” Steve’s looking down at his work now. “You said this was your last game for some of you? Is it your last game?”

Bucky swallows “Yeah it’s my last game. And hell, we’re gonna fucking win.” It was hard for him to wallow, the fact that he was nearly finished with college.

“It’s my last year too. The figure skating championships are just after I leave.”

“Are we getting sappy right now?” Bucky sits up straight, snorting and making Steve smile.

“Hell, I guess we are.”

“Shit. And here’s me thinking having you here would be beneficial.”

“Depends on what way you mean.” Again with the eyelashes. Steve just smirks again before tapping his book. “Alright, let’s get to work then slacker.”

“Fuck you.”

The fallen silence is comfortable and Bucky can relax into it, zoning back into his work as he scans the page and makes notes in his notebook, hearing the scratching from Steve’s pen alongside his own.

“Come on Sarge, time to shift your ass.” A voice brings them both out of their studying, a gruff one that Bucky beams at.

“Oh come on Marty, five more minutes.”

“You damn kids. Hey. I’m Marty. Resident caretaker of the rink.”

“Steve.” Steve holds his hand out and gets it shook.

“Nice to meetcha, now scram you two. I gotta clean.”

“Good to see you Marty.” Bucky claps the man on the back, shoving everything into his bag.

“Yeah yeah, get goin’.” Bucky helps Steve up with a hand on his elbow, shuffling them both out with a wave over his shoulder as he and Steve leave.

It’s dark out, and the lamps are dim enough that when Bucky squints, he can see the stars.

“You want me to walk you back? My treat.” He wiggles his eyebrows and Steve shoves at him.

“You try and I’ll kick your ass.”

“Oh what you gonna do half pint? Tackle me?” Bucky’s asking for it, he knows he’s asking for it as Steve drops everything and launches at him.

But he’s not a hockey player because of his sppeches. Instead, he takes the brunt of the weight, grunting slightly and catching Steve as Steve jumps, hands under the boys legs without thinking. Leaving them both shocked, Steve’s stuff spilled on the floor, curled in Bucky’s arms while they both stare at each other with wide eyes.

“Oh shit, sorry.” Scrambling, Bucky drops Steve and helps him pick everything up. “Shouldn’t have questioned your strength huh?”

“Nah, never know when I’m gonna go full prince charming on you.” They start walking again, silence stilted this time instead of comfortable. It eases though, when Bucky reaches into his bag and pulls out another snack bar.

“You want it? It’s just gonna rot in my bag.” That was a complete lie, chocolate was his favourite flavour. But it makes Steve’s shoulders ease and smile up at Bucky so he takes it.

“Yeah okay.” They’ve reached an intersection and Bucky turns to the right, letting Steve turn left, before they turn back to each other.

“See you tomorrow?” Hesitant, because how could Bucky be anything else, he isn’t prepared for the eager nod he gets.

“Yeah, and hey, maybe I’ll watch you practise too this time.”

“Maybe you will.” Bucky shrugs, panicking a little on the inside before turning away with one last smile, slumping off to his dorm.

He’s smiling the whole walk back.

Getting to practise early isn’t hard. And he’s on the ice alone before he’s even thinking about it. Setting up the drills to warm everybody up before running them through himself, doing laps as he waits.

It’s nothing fancy, just some simple drills, but when he stops to see if the guys were gonna turn up on time for once he hears clapping.

“So much for lack of fancy footwork.” It’s Steve. Right next to the barrier and he’s leaning there, smug as anything. “I think you lied to me.”

“No lies here. Those were just simple tactics.” Bucky didn’t like to brag, and he thought that Steve was only saying that for his ego.

“How did I never meet your dumb ass before huh? You’re too damn humble for your own good.”

“And why would you being here change that?” Bucky skates over, just stopping himself from slamming into the barrier like he normally would with his hands either side of Steve’s arms.

“I could boost your ego.” Steve’s smirking again, and Bucky finds himself leaning into it. Unable to stop himself. “Cheer you on at every game, watch all of your practises. Amongst, other things.” Bucky didn’t know how Steve could be so open with what was blatantly flirting, but Bucky couldn’t deny the fact that he liked it being addressed at him. They way Steve licked his lips on the last word was practically sinful, and Bucky’s leaning in further before there’s a burst of noise and they separate quickly, turning to stare at the intrusion.

“And why are you all so damn late?” Bucky asks, voice not cracking at all which he silently congratulates himself on.

“We’re always late Sarge.” Someone laughs as they all troop onto the ice, but the way they all keep winking at him makes him suspect that they were watching and listening from the locker room, ready to make their disruptive entrance.

Steve’s backed up, smiling a little hopelessly at Bucky before turning and going to the stands to watch.

“Right, for you all being late, you’re doing laps till one of your falls on your ass! And if you purposely trip one another up, I’m gonna make you do one hundred.”

The chorus of strained “Yes Sarge!” Settles the want for revenge in his mind as he skates to the middle to direct them all.

The rest of the practise goes well, and Bucky’s grateful that he doesn’t fuck up with Steve watching.

“You all did brilliantly today! I’m glad you sorted your heads out, now go on. Get changed, I know some of you have got your exams tomorrow. Go study.”

“What like you will be?” Morita calls, wiggling his eyebrows as everyone simultaneously looks up to the stands, which thankfully, were Steve free.

“All of you can go fuck yourselves!” Bucky’s cringing, but smiling through it as he troops out with them.

They’re all kind enough to make sure Steve isn’t in the locker room before hounding him about the day before, scrambling to get any information they can.

“Did you hook up?”

“Did you fuck in the changing rooms? I don’t wanna touch anything that’s had your dick on it?”

“Are you now both totally in love?”

There were variations of each question, and Bucky rolls his eyes at all of them.

“No, to all of your questions. We studied. That’s it.”

“Oh, that’s what they’re calling it these days.” Dum Dum leers, making everyone chuckle as Bucky grabs his stuff to go back to the rink.

“You can all daydream about my dick all you want, but no one of you are getting this!” He pulls his shirt up, gesturing to himself and his abs as he walks backwards, the jeering and laughter roaring in his ears as he turns around, shirt still up, to find Steve watching from the ice, smile firmly in place.

Bucky can feel his blush, feel it spreading down his chest as he hastily drops his shirt and scurries to his place in the stand.

“Hope you didn’t mean everyone when you said they weren’t getting any of you!” Steve calls, and Bucky can only bury his head in his arms and groan. What was his life.

Steve’s back when he’s done practising, plopping down opposite Bucky to start working.

“So when’s your exams?” Steve’s got his work out now, but he’s leaning on his elbows and looking at Bucky.

“Four more days until my English lit and history and then five until my English language. How about you?”

“Four till my art, five until I’ve gotta take my sociology and my art history.”

“So we’re swamped?”

“We’re totally swamped. What do you want to be?” Steve leans back and stretches, and Bucky takes the few seconds to look at Steve’s face, delicate and strong all at the same time. He was really beautiful.

“Teacher, of all things. You?”

“Artist, or if that all fall through I don’t know. Sociology was just to make my teachers happy.”

“You’re not interested?”

Steve shrugs in response and looks away. “It’s okay. You did well in practise.”

“So did you, I gotta say, that tank top really suits you. Even if it’s freezing out here.”

“Well maybe I was hoping some nice young hockey player would be a gentleman and offer me his hoodie.”

“Screw you.” Bucky laughs, but he’s shrugging his jacket off as he says it, handing the clothing over and reaching in his bag to get his spare one. “I hope you realise I wouldn’t give it to you if I didn’t have a spare.”

“I wouldn’t ask if you didn’t have a spare.” Steve’s laughing behind his eyes.

Bucky takes in the sight before him, Steve swamped in his hoodie, hood draped messily over his hair while the sleeves hung well past his hands “Well I gotta say. You look good in my clothes.”

“I bet I look better out of them.” Steve challenges, only winking when Bucky chokes again.

“Maybe you do.”

“And I know you look better under yours, Mr ‘daydream about my dick’.”

“Oh shove off.” Bucky does actually shove Steve, gently, causing Steve to shriek and flail, only stopped from falling backwards with Bucky’s hands on his shoulder. “Shit man, I’m sorry.”

“Caught me off guard is all.” Steve’s laughing, blushing for the first time himself. “Guess you hockey players don’t know your own strength.”

“Maybe not.” They smile helplessly at each other, and only stop when they realise they still have work to do.

They work together like that, studying and flirting, until finals. And it’s only after his last exam that Bucky gets to finally watch Steve practise in full, with no other distractions. He’s got a bruise forming on his knee from where he fell badly during his own practise, so he only sits a few rows up, watching as Steve moves around the ice.

He’s graceful and elegant, while pulling off complex moves Bucky could never dream of doing. Steve’s in his element, twisting as he dances, twirling and flipping in the most mesmerising way. Bucky finds himself unable to look away.

In the week of talking and flirting, both boys had grown comfortable with one another, so much so that it felt like they had known each other for years. So Bucky welcomes it when Steve flops his head onto his lap with a gasp.

“Finals totally kicked my ass.”

“Finals kicked both our asses.” Bucky agrees, leaning back on his lands so that Steve can rest easily.

“How’s your knee holding up? I saw you fall pretty bad.” Steve taps Bucky’s knee gently, getting to roll his sweatpants up to the knee. It was purple already, but it wasn’t the worst thing that had happened so Bucky just shrugs.

“It’ll be fine for the match.”

“Still.” Steve leans over, leaning on his elbow, and kisses gently at the bruise. Patting it gently afterwards. There, should get better quicker. My mom was a nurse and she used to do that. Cleared up my bruises in a jiffy.

“I can totally see your mom being magic.”

“And I’m magic. She passed it down.” Bucky snorts but nods as Steve lies back down.

“I’m glad that you’re also magic. Maybe you could pass some of that to me.”

“If it stops you getting hurt.” Bucky can feel Steve shrug and just stops himself from running his hand through Steve’s hair. “When’s your next practise?”

“We’re practising every day until the match, which is next week. Why?”

“Wanna come watch you skate.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Steve’s looking up at him, and it’s funny seeing how Steve looks upside down. “You play really well.”

“Thanks.” It’s quiet for a second, and Bucky blurts out “I think you skate really beautifully.” Before he can stop himself.

“Really?”

“Yeah, its, uh.” Bucky wants to hid. Wants to curl up in a ball and die. “Really something.”

“So are you.” Bucky leans down as Steve leans up, noses practically touching as, Bucky presumes they go to kiss upside down.

Of course, they’re interrupted before that can happen.

“Come on kids! Out you go!”

Steve’s startled right onto the floor, spluttering as Bucky rushes to help him up.

“Marty!”

“Come on.” The guys smirking though, why did everyone try and ruin Bucky’s chances.

“Oh for fucks sake.” Bucky grumbles, but he’s hauling everything into his bag and helping Steve put his things away before they slump out of the rink.

“So.” Steve starts, awkwardly shuffling as they walk.

“So.” Bucky nods, before snorting on a laugh. Because honestly, it had been pretty funny, if entirely frustrating.

“Cock blocker.” Steve cackles too, and they both walk in sync to the intersect.

“Go home Steve, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Later Bucky.” There’s a flicker behind Steve’s eyes, and it looks as though he may jump at Bucky again before he turns around and practically flees. Leaving Bucky to walk back to his dorm alone.

The week leading up to the match is tense and practise filled. Everybody’s playing to the best of their ability though, and there’s no need for any of his outbursts.

After every single practise, he sits with Steve and they chat, lounging in the stands as Steve flirts, and Bucky stutters through his own attempts. There isn’t another kiss scenario again, but there’s a closeness that wasn’t there before. One that they both seem to be happy with.

“Alright boys. We’ve got this.” It’s the night of the match, and its Bucky’s chance to give his final speech. “This is the last game for a few of us, so we’re gonna make our damn best. We’re gonna beat these motherfuckers into the ground. We’re better, faster and a damn sight better looking than these fuckers. Go out, do your best. If you kiss the ice, get back up and carry on. Don’t let these sods freak you out. Now come on boys, LET’S GO AND FUCKING KILL ‘EM!”

“YES SARGE!” The whole team practically deafens him as they all hug, grappling to get singular hugs from everybody before they troop onto the ice. Glares hard, minds focused.

It’s only five minutes in when he’s sprawled on the ice, cold coming through his helmet as he hits the ground heavy. His legs hurting, and something feels out of place but he’s back up, back playing. And giving it everything he’s damn got. They all play spectacularly, even if the hits are heavy and the checks liberal. He’s got a black eye from the first five minutes, and Dum Dums split some blood on the ice while Johnny’s out cold.

But they win. They fucking win!

There’s a massive pile on in the centre of the ice, and the crushing weight is something that comforts him completely as everybody shouts and screams. He can breathe easy once everybody lets him up, the entire team trying to hold up their trophy.

“BUCKY!” Bucky spins, clumsy now with the headiness of the win, so he’s bowled over completely when Steve tackles him, arms around his neck as he kisses Bucky soundly. “YOU WON!” He’s shouting, because everybody shouts when their team wins, before he’s peppering Bucky’s face with kisses, laughing, the joy spreading to Bucky once the light headed feeling form the kiss goes away.

“WE WON!” He shouts back, laughing into Steve’s mouth when Steve kisses him again, slow and deep and perfect.

They break away when they start getting cat called, and that only stops when Bucky realises that, now that the adrenaline had gone, he couldn’t walk on his right leg.

“Guess somebody’s going the emergency room.” Falsworth shrugs, hockey injuries were so common it didn’t bother anybody. So the blasé nature of everybody was common place.

“And we all know who’s going with the Sarge.” Gabe laughs, as everybody looks at Steve’s worried face. Steve just stick his tongue out everybody, much to Bucky’s delight, before helping Bucky from the ice.

“So hey, now’s probably not the time.” The pain was probably going to his head as the pair hobble to the front of the college. “But do you wanna go out some time?”

There’s a moment of silence before Steve’s hitting Bucky arm, laughing.

“Of course, you giant sap. Of course I’ll go out with you some time.”

Bucky’s the one cheering for Steve a month later, and although he can’t go and tackle his boyfriend due to the cast on his leg. He still kisses him just as soundly as Steve did to him. Bucky had decided, after much deliberation, that there were plenty of great kisses, because all kisses with Steve were great kisses, but celebration kisses, those were probably the best.


End file.
